BRITISH ELECTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22716, 31 October 1935, Page 9

BRITISH ELECTIONS

PROGRESS OF CAMPAIGN FIRST LABOUR BROADCAST (British Official -Wireless) (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) RUGBY, October 29. Prominent members of all political parties made electioneering speeches yesterday. Major Attloe delivered the first of the Labour Party's election broadcasts, in the course of which he said that the two real issues of the election were: First, how could security from menace of war be given? and secondly, how could they ensure to all citizens security for their means of livelihood? Proceeding, he said: "We believe that another world war will mean the end of civilisation. Modern weapons arc so dangerous that they cannot be left in the hands of national Governments. We believe the world must disarm and join in a system of collective security. The danger of war springs largely from a breakdown of the economic system, and there must be economic co-operation if the peoples of the world are to benefit

by the discoveries of science. If people are to be made secure the collective peace system must be made effective and must be used only as establishing conditions for building up a new world." Criticising the Government's demand for more armaments he said Labour's position was quite clear. While working for all-round disarmament it was ready to maintain efficient forces needed for the country to take its proper share in the system of collective security. He protested that the Government had never given an estimate of what was required in regard to rearmament. All its proposals were based on obsolete ideas of national defence. Turning to domestic affairs he demanded that institutions must, be adapted to the new world in which they were living. The machinery of commerce and industry was so complicated that it could not be left to private industry, and a mere scramble for profits. The banks should be owned by the State and the machinery of credit ai'd finance operated in the interests of the nation. To reorganise industries and agriculture and to provide social amenities land must be brought into national ownership. The problem of the distressed areas and depressed industries should be dealt with as a part of the national plan. The aged and children should be removed from industry and a reduction in the hours of labour effected. LORD SNOWDEN'S BROADCAST LONDON, October 29. Continuing the party election broadcasts, of which five have been allotted to the Nationalists, four to the Labour Party, and three to the Liberals, Lord Snowden broadcast while the controversy is still raging whether Sir Herbert Samuel should have given him one of his three Liberal dates. Lord Snowden opened by saying that he spoke as an independent politician by courtesy of the Liberal leaders. He said the Government had introduced a full Protectionist system within six months of taking office, though Mr Baldwin at the election declared that Protection was not an issue. Then came the Ottawa agreements, which had a serious effect on foreign relations and confirmed the suspicion abroad that British Imperial policy aimed at excluding foreign countries from the markets and raw materials of the Empire. Lord Snowden said: " The Tory spokesmen now tell us that other nations have a legitimate claim to expansion and access to raw materials. Japan, Italy and Germany have long claimed this, but it has taken a lawless war to awaken the Tories to the fact. The Tories advocated Protection as a means of com pelling foreign countries to lower tariffs against us, but the opposite has been the result." Lord Snowden protested against the falsehood that Labourites were responsible for the 1931 slump. He added that the Government's domestic record was one of almost unrelieved failure and cruel complacency about millions of unemployed. The Government was now having an election in order to hide it, and was trying to exploit the international crisis as it exploited the national crisis in 1931. As regards the Italo-Abyssinian dispute, a lack of firmness and clarity in the early months encouraged Signor Mussolini to believe that he might pursue his object with impunity. Mr Baldwin's statement that the navy was out of date and inefficient was inaccurate. Huge sums had been spent yearly on replacements. Lord Snowden proceeded to deal at length with unemployment. He declared that Mr Lloyd George's proposals would break the back of the problem in a year. It- w;is the duty of the electorate to get "this self-satisfied Government" out of office. He urged support for the Liberal candidates where pledged to the Lloyd George programme, and to vote for Labour where a Government candidate and a Labourite were opposed. MR CHURCHILL'S VIEWS LONDON, October 29. Mr Winston Churchill, speaking at Woodford, arraigned the damages which might result from Lord Snowden's broadcast. He added that Lord Snowden had harmed his colleagues to the greatest extent in the 1931 election. Mr Churchill cited Germany's expenditure of £800,000,000 annually on warlike preparations, and emphasised that Germany was ruining her finances and depriving the populace of sin pie foods in order to turn the nation into the most terrible fighting machine in the world's history. He asked what awful event in view of these circumstances hung over Europe.

LABOUR PROPOSALS ASSAILED

(British Official Wireless) RUGBY, October 29. Sir John Simon assailed the Labour Party's proposals to take over the banks and businesses. He said another firstelass financial crisis, such as occurred in 1931, would bring in its wake a trail of ruin. The same causes would be bound to produce the same results. He recalled the services of Lord Snowden in 1931, when he helped to revise the spendthrift policy for which he previously had been partly responsible, and added that under the present Chancellor of the Exchequer the national finances had been completely re-established. All debits had been restored, taxation had been reduced, and British credit was now the best in the wdrld. LABOUR'S ARMAMENT POLICY LONDON, October 29. Captain Eden, speaking at Leamington, described the Labourites' attitude towards armament as being one of illogicality. He added that, while Labour was supporting collective action through the League, he would like to know how collective action was possible unless Britain's defences equalled those of other great Powers with similar responsibilities. The Government must face the fact that Britain's defence forces were unsatisfactory. This must be remedied, and proposals in that connection would shortly be presented to Parliament. Captain Eden said there was in Britain at present a stronger and wide, measure of general support fc the League than there ever had been. This was due to the growing belief that through the League alone could they hope to create in the world that new order as the result of which no nation would ever contemplate 'the use of war as an instrument of national policy He repudiated the suggestion that the Government had been dilatory in its part in League action. In the present crisis the League had worked in the last few weeks as a truly corporate body with a vigorous sense of international responsibility. When they considered how unpalatable was its task it was surely a remarkable tribute to the League's virility. He added: "It must, however, be remembered that the first task of the League is conciliation, and it clearly would have been criminal to neglect so long as it existed any opportunit; for conciliation." A LIBERAL'S WARNING LONDON, October 29. Sir Herbert Samuel warned his Nottingham hearers that if the next House were packed with Conservatives, as was the last, there was no guarantee fot continuance of the new-born zeal in support of the League; therefore for the sake of peace and disarmament a sufficiently large Liberal element should be returned. The only means of securing peace was through the League. MR RAMSAY MACDONALD (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, October 29. Mr Ramsay MacDonald opened his Seaham campaign to a mixed reception, the meeting terminating with hoots and cheers. He 'enlarged upon the trade expansion under the National Government, but admitted that it could not find a remedy for unemployment in six months. He urged goodwill between colliery owners and miners. THE TOTAL ELECTORATE (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, October 29. (Received Oct. 30, at 5.5 p.m.) It is estimated that there will be more than 500,000 more voters on the rolls for the coming election than at the general election in 1931. The total electorate now numbers 27,404,000.